Demonetisation is a new experience. The economy is going through an upheaval as the common man struggles to come to terms. There is a flipside too.

It has given a new life to rumours and those who thrive on such disruptions. There have been plenty of false tip-offs and wild allegations of people discovering huge bundles of notes.

There were rumours of currency bundles of Rs 1,000 denomination dumped in roadside garbage bins or thrown into water tanks.

Many rushed to such places only to realise they were hoax calls. In one place, this correspondent noticed some bystanders sifting through garbage bins with what seemed like a look of desperation. Enquiries revealed they were digging for notes that were supposedly discarded. Except raising an awful stink, they got nothing.

But what can one do with the notes that are not valid anymore, one wonders... but lo! There are people out there who are just waiting to take a couple of hundred notes and have it deposited into their bank account or better still exchange them at a premium.

You could call it capitalising on the opportunity or exploiting the situation for private gain. It's converting waste to wealth - in a different way.

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